As 1986’s Dead End Drive-In begins, we’re told just a few
years later in the 90s the world has gone to hell, the economy is in ruins,
food is scarce and crime is rampant.
Gangs drive the streets, fighting each other and salvage crews for the
‘rewards’ of things like car parts after accidents. In an effort to curb crime, the police and
the owners of some drive-ins conspire to trap unemployed young people, then
give them easy access to food, drugs, booze, crappy movies and music. In short, everything they need to keep
entertained, accept their fate and not try to escape. Crabs is the charming nickname given to
Jimmy, who opens the movie engaging in some risky jogging (maybe it’s a thing
in the crime-ridden future, we’ll probably know soon enough). Crabs is a pretty simple guy – he just wants
to keep fit, make some money and, uh, get to know his girlfriend, Carmen. So he ‘borrows’ his brother’s beloved 56
Chevy and decides to take Carmen to the drive-in. And get in with two tickets
on the ‘unemployed’ rate. It’s not long
before his car has fewer wheels than needed to drive home. Stranded at the drive-in, the owner tells
Crabs and Carmen not to expect to leave any time soon. Carmen settles into the new world pretty
quickly but Crabs just wants to get back to his life outside the electrified
fences that surround them.
Made during the first wave of
Ozploitation flicks, Dead End Drive-In takes inspiration from many of
the post-apocalyptic genre films around in the late 70s and 80s, especially the
homegrown Mad Max series. A similarly
low budget film, it’s got a great done-on-the-cheap production design that
helps build a sense of heightened reality.
The premise might be pretty much flimsy nonsense but the slum of the
drive-in is beautifully realised and feels convincingly lived in. Social commentary abounds in this microcosm
of society of the time too, on race, consumerism, the way people can be conned
into thinking what they’ve got is good, even the evils of fast food. It might not be subtle satire on the
contemporary culture, but it’s not done with a sledgehammer either and doesn’t
get in the way of a good time.
We could argue not much
happens for a long time after Crabs and Carmen get to the drive-in, director
Brian Trenchard-Smith seemingly saving his meagre money for explosive stunt
set-pieces at the end. It’s intensely
1980s as well, which is apparently not everyone’s thing, so be warned. The
acting is fine, though sometimes we imagine this could have been what a Very
Special Episode of Heartbreak High about dropping acid could have been
like. These are generally very minor
points though in what’s for the most part a hugely fun and entertaining minor
genre gem.
DEAD END DRIVE-IN / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: BRIAN TRENCHARD-SMITH / SCREENPLAY: PETER SMALLEY / STARRING: NED MANNING, NATALIE MCCURRY, PETER WHITFORD, WILBUR WILDE / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 20TH
